Transgender

Forum











Chatsubo


The Chatsubo, or simply The Chat, is the bar made famous by William Gibson in his 1984 cyber-punk masterpiece NEUROMANCER. The Chat is where the cyberjocks, razorgirls and joeboys came to gather information and kick back. Please feel free to do the same here.

by JoAnn Roberts - CyberQueen

"The finest plans have always been spoiled by the littleness of those that should carry them out."
-- Bertolt Brecht

I just could not resist using the above quote to start off this month's collection of comments and observations. You'll see why as you read on. With apologies to Dennis Miller, I don't want to go off on a rant but... the board of directors of the International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE) appears to have a serious character flaw. After all the heated rhetoric about the so-called Winslow Street Fund (WSF) loan to IFGE, made public by WSF trustee Kerri Reeder, the IFGE BoD voted to remove Reeder as a WSF trustee while IFGE director Yvonne Cook-Riley called for a vote of confidence for BoD members and WSF trustees Abby Saypen and Laura Caldwell. But, while some of the board members are patting themselves on the back, others are planning to revisit the issue at the annual board meeting in Toronto. This issue is not closed by any stretch of the imagination. Personally, I feel those members of the IFGE board who voted for Reeder's removal should be ashamed of themselves. It was both immoral and unethical; a slap in the face of the community that believed the WSF trustees would keep the money for community use and not use it to prop up a financially ailing IFGE. I still think both Saypen and Caldwell should resign. The vote of confidence looks like IFGE is circling the wagons to protect its own. What I believe should happen with the WSF is spin it off from IFGE completely or build a firewall around it so it can't be easily used as a financial crutch again, and establish a new board of trustees made up of representatives from the national transgender organizations.

I'm not done yet. Last month I praised the new IFGE Executive Director, Nancy Nangeroni, for her efforts to get IFGE back on track for the community. This month I have to wonder if that praise was well-deserved. Nangeroni announced, via the IFGE web site, that IFGE and GenderPAC are sharing a display booth at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) annual conference in late May. It is no secret that Nangeroni and GPAC head-honcho Riki Wilchins are bosom buddies, but what I want to know is what happened to the Transgender Alliance for Community (TAC)? The national transgender organizations created TAC three years ago to take advantage of shared resources and reduced costs specifically for events and activities like the APA convention. When I polled the Executive Directors of the nationals, not one had been contacted by IFGE to participate in the conference, not even the GPAC board members. This is distressing on several levels and raises many questions. Is IFGE suddenly so flush with WSF cash that it can afford the several thousand dollars it will cost to mount this activity? Why didn't IFGE extend an invitation to the TAC partners to share the booth and costs? Why choose GPAC as a booth partner? Ms. Wilchins' position on Gender Identity Dysphoria (GID) is well-known but not well-supported in the community. Why is IFGE paying for GPAC to present it's case to the APA? Why make the announcement on their web page? Certainly the web is a public forum but since less than 80 percent of the population is even wired, very few people, if any, saw the announcement. Last, but not at all least, is the questionable efficacy of renting booth space at conferences versus participating via papers and panel discussion. According to Dallas Denny, Executive Director of the American Educational Gender Information Service (AEGIS): "I've been analyzing a poll of AEGIS members about the various activities we do and have contemplated doing. Booths at professional conferences ranked very low--right at the bottom, indicating that AEGIS members think it important to direct funds and energies elsewhere. When I teased out the professional members and looked at what they thought, they didn't find it very important either. I expect that AEGIS members are pretty typical of the way the entire community feels about the issue." I expect Dallas is right.

I am not alone in my disappointment of IFGE, Dallas Denny made the following observations in a withering commentary on the dismissal of Kerri Reeder: "...IFGE is in perpetual financial crisis, bailing itself out once or twice a year by sending out panicky fundraising letters-- which causes one to wonder why it imagines it will be able to pay the WSF loan back, rather than sliding more deeply into debt. It is in perpetual identity crisis, having walked away from the one thing it was truly good at -- being an umbrella organization -- in favor of doing gender education it is intellectually unprepared to do. And it is in perpetual moral crisis. The present instance -- IFGE's failure to disclose the loan from WSF until forced to do so -- is but one of many ways IFGE continues to disappoint."

Talk about perpetual crises. As if the WSF issue weren't enough grief, IFGE Transgender Tapestry editor Jean Marie Stine quit in a huff after getting into an argument with Exec. Director Nangeroni over a reprimand during a staff meeting. Stein was the third editor of the magazine that is IFGE's main source of revenue. Without the magazine, they'll be in a world of hurt. It took a while to find Stine and it may take even longer to find a new editor. Assuming there is an issue of the magazine in the can, that gives them maybe a month or two to find someone. At least one board member was calling around looking for potential candidates. If u can spel gud u might give them a kall.

Since I dragged GPAC into this already, I might as well put my two cents on the table about their last press release. The White House staffers aren't the only folks doing a little spin doctoring. According to GPAC: "The last two Lobby Days have both drawn over a hundred grassroot activists to Capitol Hill on a variety of issues." But, according to people who attended the 1997 lobby daze, about 60 people were there, and insiders say that even less are expected this year because GPAC has "unfocused it's goals" as one person put it. The 1998 effort will include position statements on same-sex marriage and HIV funding. While these are issues we should support individually and in common, they should not be our top priority since other groups have them as a primary focus. My issue with GPAC and Miss Wilchins is the total lack of accountability. Riki makes decisions in a vacuum and there is no one to keep her in check. And when was the last time anyone updated the GPAC web site? It's positively ancient and loaded with cobwebs.

Onto the fashion world... This came in from Susan D. For those who use those stay-put products that supposedly don't rub off (like Max Factor Lasting Performance makeup or Revlon ColorStay), I'd like to pass along some info on makeup removers Almay's Non-Oily Eye Makeup Remover Lotion contains exactly the same ingredients as Revlon's ColorStay Makeup Remover Pads (minus the pads, of course) and it is excellent as an overall facial makeup remover for stay-put products. I use the Almay remover (on a cotton ball) to dissolve the stay-put, then use my regular cleanser afterwards. Sometimes I add a drop of the Almay remover to the top surface of my pot of cream eyeshadow to keep the shadow from drying out and getting too thick." If anyone has any other suggestions for products or techniques for removing or dealing with stay-put makeup, we would appreciate hearing about them.

This came from Deborah from the Renaissance Greater Philadelphia Chapter. "I have a couple of items which might be appropriate for your column. Both are shaving-related and I recommend them without reservation. The first is called the Total Shaving Solution and is basically an oil formulation which is used instead of shaving cream. I was skeptical of the claims, but they had a free sample so I gave it a shot. In a word; amazing. I've used this exclusively for about five months now and I virtually never get razor burn. My neck especially was always extremely hard to shave. I used a Gillette Sensor and Edge Gel with lots of hot water, but still I would always get scraped to death and could never get a really close shave. Edge doesn't even come close to this stuff (even with repeat shavings), and you only need three drops of it! The shave is not "smooth" or "soft" like Edge, and it feels like it is really biting into you. But I guess that's the key. It lets the blade really grab those hairs while protecting the skin from damage. I don't know what kind of oil this is, but it is definitely not baby oil or mineral oil (or snake oil) as I have tried those and get nicked anyway. This stuff really really works. The second is a product, Razor Guard, designed to extend the life of your razor blade. I don't think there's anything magical about this, but it does prevent the oxidation which destroys the blade. You keep the blade immersed in this little reservoir until you shave, periodically changing the solution. In addition to extending the life of the blade by about 10 times, it helps lubricate the shave just that much more. These two products have helped me immensely in getting that super close shave needed for good beard coverage. I wonder if they realize how much crossdressers need this kind of product?"

What do the fashion mavens have in store for us this Spring and Summer? Get ready for the Lolita look; it's sheer, short, scanty, bare midriffs, hot pants, corsets, slip dresses, bright prints and hot colors. Who is going to wear this stuff? I'm jealous because I can't. I look more like Lolita's mother. But there's stuff for me, too, with neutral shaded slip and tunic dresses.

Here's a quick overview of the Spring and Summer fashion shows. Gucci designer Tom Ford gets the dumb-idea-of-the-season award for a handbag with a strap that wraps around your neck. Just what you need for your next mugging in the city... Jil Sander showed lots of clothes with a Japanese motif, intricately twisted and asymmetrical. The pundits called it "fabulous and relaxed." I call it the "slept-in" look... Gianni Versace may be dead but his fashion empire lives on through his sister Donatella who took her cues from the red light district: halters, hot pants, lots of skin, leather, chain mail and body hugging fabrics... Armani made the real splash with a sensual collection of fluid jackets and beaded evening gowns that spoke volumes without shouting... People were gawking at the styles trotted out by Alexander McQueen for Givenchy. What is the boy thinking? Most of it looked like cowgirl-hooker drag. One writer called it: "as appealing as an undercooked chicken-fried steak"... Not to be outdone, Vivienne Westwood created a flamboyant pirate themed show called "Tied to the Mast," recalling her bondage-queen stylings of the past... Karl Lagerfeld toned it down for Chanel with very wearable suits and dresses decorated with typical Chanel trim, chain belts and fringe. Only problem is no one can afford the clothes at $15,000 for a suit... Oscar de la Renta has the right idea with simple crepe sheaths that are all the rage with the ladies-who-lunch set... Ralph Lauren, the man who can make no mistake, revealed a flawless leather shirt jacket and a leather double breasted blazer that were simply elegant... Richard Tyler gets high marks and my personal "best of show" award for exquisitely tailored suits and sensual evening gowns with sexy cowl backs, slits and spirals of lace.

One of the best new magazines to come along in years is MODE, dedicated to "style beyond size." The really good news is the magazine has finally gone monthly. The February issue has 14 women on the gatefold cover. At first glance, you would wonder what they had in common, if anything. Turns out they were all size 14. (Get it? 14 size 14s) It was interesting to see the great differences in body shape that encompass one size. This is one fabulous magazine for "plus-size" women, whether you are FAB (female at birth) or have adopted the social role. It is just way too cool to see the plus-sized models in tailored suits and sexy, curvy dresses. No Omar-the-Tent-Maker fashions in this mag.

At the opposite end of the size spectrum is the article in the March marie claire showing four women who are size 6. Only one of them was "naturally" a 6. The rest had to work at it in various ways, from taking 12 herbal pills a day, to constant exercise, to the extreme example of repeated liposuction. One has to ask: is it worth it? As someone who constantly struggles with their weight, yes.

So, those are my opinions, but, hey, what do I know? The littler they are, the harder they fall. Comments? Write care of this publication or email them to CyberQueen@cdspub.com.

© 1998 by JoAnn Roberts



Back to
TGF's
Home Page